Meet Ana Reyes. She has a husband, named Sergio, and three beautiful children, Sergio, Jr., Sebastian and Helen. They are her greatest blessings and priority.
She says, “I grew up in a family of faith, and I credit my mother for passing on the faith to all of us. She taught us that we believe because we trust God, and not because of the special blessings we have received from God.”
She came to the United States in 2007 from Mexico.
She says, “God has always guided me. I feel it in my heart, showing me the best way.”
Ana used to drive by Amazing Grace Lutheran Church every day, and she used to look forward to seeing the messages on the sign out in front of the church that would change weekly. Because her she was still learning English, she didn’t always understand them. So, she would ask her co workers to explain them to her.
She responded to an invitation to sign her children up for Vacation Bible School, where she met the Pastor, his wife, and many very nice and welcoming people. They helped her to fill out the registration forms. Her children really enjoyed the week of VBS. At the end of it, the Pastor’s wife spoke to Ana and told she had been praying for many years that God would point the way for Amazing Grace to be in ministry to the Latino community, and asked Ana if she would be willing to help her. Ana says she didn’t really understand what the Pastor’s wife was asking, but she said she would help.
Ana left doubting that she would receive a follow-up call, but the Pastor’s wife did call her, and that is how she became involved in leadership at Amazing Grace. It was uncomfortable at first, because everyone she met was white and spoke English. She says, she had a hard time understanding. She wondered “What am I doing here?” She stayed with it because she could sense that God was up to something through this church.
She decided, “I need a church close to me. I need to learn English and they can help. I want a church home for my children; and I want to work in ministry.” These prayers were answered through her involvement at Amazing Grace.
She helped the Pastor’s wife and other leaders develop a monthly program called, “Iglesia Familia” or “Family Church.” It was a chance for Latino families to meet together for a meal, and there were special activities planned for their children: games and a Bible Lesson. From this beginning, it became a weekly ministry called, “Homework Help in 2013.
Ana says, she can see “how God is working through the people of Amazing Grace.” Amazing Grace, she says, has helped her “mature in her faith and as a leader” in her community. She is thankful because through Amazing Grace, she has been given the opportunity to do something for the Latino community nearby, and the people of the church have provided her children with a loving family of faith. She can see how the church has helped her children begin to grow in faith, and her oldest son has grown from a child with attention deficit issues, who struggled in school, to a more confident young man, who is becoming a leader in his own right. This is an answer to her prayer for her children, and she credits the love of God shown through the caring people of Amazing Grace!